Garda Centomiglia Regatta Recognized for National Lottery Pairing
The Garda Lottery is back. The Ministry of Finance, with a decree issued last December, has designated the regatta velica Centomiglia del Garda as an event of high sporting significance and notable tourist interest, to be paired with one of the national lotteries of this year.
This is the third time, after the first edition in 1991 and the subsequent one in 1995, that such authorization has been granted upon specific request from the Comunità del Garda. The satisfaction is particularly evident in the words of the president of the Benaco entity, Giuseppe Mongiello, who sees in this reaffirmation a recognition of the fame of Lake Garda, which among other things accounts for ten percent of foreign tourist traffic in Italy.
Results and impact of the event
Certainly, Vincenzo Visco, through the ministry he oversees, has verified the excellent performance of the Lakeside Organizing Committee, which, despite the challenging timing of the sailing event (August), achieved good results in ticket sales during both previous editions.
More importantly, the event has received favorable feedback regarding the promotion of Lake Garda’s image, as well as the renowned international sailing event, which also acts as a catalyst for the growth of nautical activities on the lake and youth sailing initiatives.
The tradition of the Centomiglia del Garda
The Comunità del Garda has always believed, and successive requests each year to hold the prize event confirm it, that the international sailing regatta Centomiglia del Garda, organized by the Circolo Vela di Gargnano, is one of the main expressions of sailing-show. It can involve hundreds of athletes and thousands of Italian and foreign spectators passionate about this discipline, in a competition that highlights the values of an eco-friendly sport for which the great Benaco provides a true training ground.
Prizes from previous editions
It should be noted that the two previous events with the lottery have been somewhat modest in prizes for the residents of Garda. In 1991, approximately 1,200,000 tickets were sold, generating gross revenues of nearly six billion lire for the ministry, with a first prize of two billion lire awarded to Arezzo, and the Comunità receiving a net profit of just over 718 million lire.
In the edition five years ago, with the Centomiglia, which was partnered with the Taormina Art Festival, one and a half million tickets were sold, with the first prize going to Macerata, and the proceeds shared equally between the two sponsoring entities, totaling just over one billion lire.